Classic American Dessert
Easy Homemade Apple Pie with Food Processor Pie Crust
This easy homemade apple pie pairs tender cinnamon apples with a flaky all-butter crust that comes together quickly in a food processor. It is a practical from-scratch pie with clear chilling, baking, and cooling steps.
A mix of tart Granny Smith and sweet Honeycrisp apples gives the filling a balanced flavor and enough structure to hold together after the pie cools. Serve each slice as it is, or add vanilla ice cream for a familiar, comforting finish.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Pie
Quick crust mixing
The food processor cuts the cold butter into the flour in short, controlled pulses.
Flaky all-butter crust
Visible pieces of cold butter create crisp, tender layers as the pie bakes.
Balanced apple filling
Tart and sweet apples bring contrast while cornstarch helps the juices set.
Easy to make ahead
Prepare the dough in advance, then roll, fill, and bake when you are ready.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Full-size food processor with a metal chopping blade
- 9-inch pie plate
- Rolling pin
- Large mixing bowl
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Pastry brush
- Aluminum foil or a pie shield
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Food Processor Pie Crust
- 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
Apple Filling
- 3 pounds apples, about 7 to 8 medium apples
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For Finishing
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional
Useful Substitutions
- Replace Honeycrisp with Pink Lady, Braeburn, or Fuji.
- Replace cornstarch with ¼ cup all-purpose flour.
- Use water instead of milk in the egg wash.
A Few Ingredients That Matter
Apples: A mix of firm tart and sweet apples keeps the filling from tasting flat. Cut them into even ¼-inch slices so they soften at the same rate.
Cold butter: Keep it refrigerated until the moment it goes into the processor. The small visible pieces are what help form flaky layers.
Ice water: The amount varies with the flour and kitchen humidity. Add only enough for the dough to hold together when squeezed.
Cornstarch: It thickens the apple juices as the pie bakes and cools, helping each slice hold together.
How to Make Homemade Apple Pie
Mix the dry ingredients
Fit the food processor with the metal chopping blade. Add the flour, granulated sugar, and salt, then pulse two or three times to combine.
Pulse in the cold butter
Scatter the butter cubes over the flour. Pulse 8 to 12 times in short bursts, stopping when the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-size butter pieces remaining.
Add the ice water
Stir the apple cider vinegar into 6 tablespoons ice water. Add it one tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each addition. Stop when the crumbly mixture holds together when squeezed. Add the remaining water only if needed.
Divide and chill the dough
Turn the mixture onto a clean surface and gently press it together without kneading. Divide it into two portions, making the bottom-crust portion slightly larger. Shape both into disks, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll the bottom crust
Let the larger disk stand for about 5 minutes. Roll it on a lightly floured surface into a 12½-inch circle, transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate, and leave about 1 inch of overhang. Refrigerate while making the filling.
Preheat and prepare the apples
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 425°F. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into even ¼-inch slices.
Mix the filling
Toss the apples with lemon juice, both sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.
Fill the pie
Spoon the apples and their juices into the chilled crust, arranging them compactly and slightly higher in the center. Dot the filling with the 2 tablespoons of butter.
Add the top crust
Roll the second dough disk into a 12-inch circle and lay it over the filling. Trim, fold the edges together, crimp, and cut five small steam vents in the top.
Chill and finish
Refrigerate the assembled pie for 15 minutes. Whisk the egg with the milk or water, brush it lightly over the crust, and add coarse sugar if desired.
Bake
Set the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 375°F and continue baking for 40 to 50 minutes. The crust should be deeply golden and the filling should bubble through the center vents. Shield the edge with foil if it browns too quickly.
Cool before slicing
Move the pie to a wire rack and cool for at least 3 hours. The filling continues to thicken as it cools.
Serving Ideas
Serve the pie at room temperature or slightly warm. It is lovely on its own, but vanilla ice cream, lightly sweetened whipped cream, caramel sauce, sharp cheddar, hot coffee, or apple cider all make fitting companions.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
| Method | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Make the dough ahead | Refrigerate the wrapped dough disks for up to 2 days. Let them stand for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling. |
| Room-temperature storage | Once completely cool, loosely cover the pie and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days. |
| Refrigerator storage | After 2 days at room temperature, refrigerate the covered pie for up to 2 additional days. |
| Reheat a slice | Warm it in a 325°F oven for 8 to 12 minutes. The microwave is faster, but it softens the crust. |
Easy Homemade Apple Pie with Food Processor Pie Crust
Tender cinnamon apples tucked under a flaky all-butter double crust made with quick pulses in a food processor.
Equipment
- Full-size food processor with metal chopping blade
- 9-inch pie plate
- Rolling pin
- Large mixing bowl
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Pastry brush
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt for the crust
- 1 cup (226 g) cold cubed unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
- 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt for the filling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional
Instructions
- Pulse the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor two or three times.
- Add the cold cubed butter and pulse 8 to 12 times, leaving some pea-size pieces.
- Mix the vinegar with 6 tablespoons ice water. Add it gradually, pulsing briefly, until the crumbs hold when squeezed. Add up to 2 more tablespoons water only if needed.
- Press the dough together, divide it into two disks, wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll the larger disk into a 12½-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Chill.
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Peel, core, and slice the apples ¼ inch thick.
- Toss the apples with lemon juice, ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt, and vanilla. Rest 10 minutes.
- Fill the bottom crust with the apples and juices, then dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
- Roll out the top crust, cover the pie, trim, crimp, and cut five steam vents.
- Chill 15 minutes. Brush with egg mixed with milk or water and add coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake on a rimmed sheet at 425°F for 20 minutes. Reduce to 375°F and bake 40 to 50 minutes more, until deeply golden and bubbling at the center.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 3 hours before slicing.
Notes
- Use a mix of firm tart and sweet apples.
- Do not wait for the food processor to form a smooth dough ball.
- Cover the crust edge loosely with foil if it browns early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make pie crust in a food processor?
Yes. Use the metal chopping blade and short pulses. Stop while the mixture is still crumbly and holds together only when squeezed.
Which apples are good for homemade apple pie?
A combination of firm tart and sweet apples works well. This recipe uses Granny Smith and Honeycrisp, but Pink Lady, Braeburn, and Fuji are useful alternatives.
Why did my food processor pie crust turn tough?
The dough may have been mixed too long or given too much water. Pulse briefly, add the water gradually, and stop before the dough becomes a smooth ball.
Should I cook the apples before filling the pie?
Not for this version. Thin, evenly sliced apples soften as the pie bakes. Let the mixed filling rest for 10 minutes before assembling the pie.
How do I keep the bottom crust from getting soggy?
Keep the assembled pie cold, use the full amount of thickener, bake in the lower third of the oven, and continue baking until the filling bubbles at the center.
Can I prepare the pie the day before serving?
Yes. Bake and cool it completely, then cover it loosely and keep it at room temperature overnight.
